Local Groups Debate Whether "Red for Ed" is a Political Matter

On Tuesday, the NCAE issued a release urging educators across the state to wear red in support of New Hanover County teachers.

The New Hanover County School Board has responded to the recent influx of teachers sporting “Red for Ed” tee shirts with reminders that political messages violate school policy. WHQR’s Katie O’Reilly reports that the Board is now receiving letters questioning the constitutionality of this.

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Proponents of the “Red for Ed” campaign say the shirts are not political in nature, that they simply allow wearers to express their support for public education. To this end, Rodney Ellis, president of the Raleigh-based North Carolina Association of Educators, or NCAE, issued the School Board a letter yesterday. Don Hayes, president of the Board, has not yet received the letter. He says the Board never specifically banned “Red for Ed” shirts, and that they issued the reminder in response to community concern about teacher walk-ins.

"All we have instructed our central office about is, ‘Please, let the principals be aware that there are policies concerning political activity on campus, and please adhere to those policies.’ That’s all we’ve said."

According to a local NCAE spokesperson, the Board will today be receiving another letter—issued by a local attorney and former ACLU legal director—in defense of “Red for Ed.”

Local educators are increasingly finding fault with new laws affecting public education. They say the state’s pay-for-performance compensation system will hinder collaborative learning environments, and that phased-out teacher tenure just strips teachers of their right to due process. Meanwhile, some legislators say the laws are meant to incentivize teachers and weed out the bad ones. In an effort to exempt their school from these measures, all of Murray Middle School’s teachers and support staff recently presented a signed petition to State Representative Ted Davis.

Since Governor McCrory signed the Voter ID Bill into law on Monday, three civil rights groups have filed lawsuits. They challenge new requirements for state-issued IDs, elimination of same-day registration--and an early voting period that will be shortened by seven days. Critics of the bill say the latter in particular will cut off voting opportunities for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians—particularly minorities. About 64 percent of New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender County citizens voted early in the 2012 election.

This December, Duke Energy Progress will retire the coal units at Wilmington’s Sutton Plant, and switch to more energy-efficient natural gas operations. But while those coal units are being decommissioned, Duke will keep their ash basins operational for what they say is a short time. However, local environmental advocates are pushing to excavate the ash immediately, as they say its chemical components could pose public health threats. WHQR’s Katie O’Reilly reports that the Sierra Club and Cape Fear River Watch have teamed up to launch a petition demanding a timetable from Duke.

Because Wilmington’s recent spate of gun violence has residents from every walk of life concerned, City Councilman and UNCW political science professor Earl Sheridan corralled some university colleagues for a community panel event. WHQR’s Katie O’Reilly reports that Wednesday night’s discussion often landed on another local hot button: public education.